SpongeBob Squarepants Meets the Little Mermaid
by movieNcartoons
Summary: Before Ariel fell in love with a human prince, she befriended a perky young sponge named SpongeBob Squarepants. See how they first met in the prequel to "SpongeBob Squarepants and the Little Mermaid." In honor of the 30th anniversary of "The Little Mermaid" and the 20th anniversary of "SpongeBob Squarepants."
1. Where's Ariel?

**In Remembrance of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of "SpongeBob Squarepants."**

* * *

French Narrator: Ah, the sea. So fascinating, so beautiful. Here, we see the kingdom of Atlantica, teeming with life, home of the majestic King Triton and his seven young daughters.

* * *

King Triton was looking out the window from inside his throne room as a little crab cautiously entered.

"I mustn't overreact. I must remain calm." he said to himself as he tapped on one of the pillars.

"Come in, Sebastian." Triton called as he swam to his throne. "I assume preparations are well underway for my daughters' concert."

Sebastian walked up to the throne calmly and replied "Yes" in a squeaky voice. He cleared his throat and, in his regular voice, said. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Excellent." said Triton. "Just wanted to make sure my trusted court composer is on the job."

"Whew, what a relief." Sebastian said to himself as he prepared to walk away.

But Triton went on, saying, "Although..."

"Oh, no."

"I've noticed that Ariel was not at breakfast this morning. You haven't seen her lately, have you?"

Sebastian began to stutter. "Oh, well, I..."

"Sebastian?"

"Hmm?"

Triton gave him the come-here finger, which Sebastian responded by swimming up to the throne.

"I don't know where Ariel swam off to." said Triton. "But wherever she is, I want you to find her and bring her back home."

"Oh, why does it always have to be me?" whined Sebastian

"Because you are the only one who can reason with her." explained Triton. "Now get going."

Sebastian groaned as he left the throne room. Trying to keep an eye on Ariel, the king's youngest daughter was, by far, the most impossible job ever, for she always ignores the strictest of rules that were placed throughout the kingdom.

"Of all the jobs I should be doing," he said to himself. "Why must I tag along after a headstrong teenager like Ariel?"


	2. The Jellyfish Migration

There was a good reason why Ariel left so early. Today was the annual Jellyfish Migration and she wasn't going to miss it.

Her best friend, a tropical fish named Flounder, wasn't far behind.

"Ariel, how do we know we're there if you won't tell me where we're going?" he asked.

"Oh, I'll tell you how I know, Flounder." said Ariel. "We're here!"

She motioned to a sign that said _"Jellyfish Fields."_

"Je...je...je...je...je...je...je...je...je...je...je...je..." stuttered Flounder. "I'm outta here."

But Ariel just dragged him along as she swan towards the fields.

"Don't tell me you're scared of a bunch of cute jellyfish." she said.

"Cute? Ha!" said Flounder. "You may think they're cute, Ariel. But I think they're scary."

"What's so scary about jellyfish?" asked Ariel.

"Well, they have these tentacles that..."

"So? Almost very fish has tentacles."

"Yeah, but if you get too close, they'll sting ya." said Flounder, who imitated a jellyfish stinging.

"Well, Dr. Manowar got close to one...and lived." said Ariel.

"That's because he was born lucky, Ariel." said Flounder. "Didn't you see how huge that sore was? That Big Lenny really did a number on him. If we get stung by one of them, we won't be so lucky."

"Which is why I have this." said Ariel as she pulled out a tube from her bag.

"What is it?" asked Flounder.

* * *

Anchovy: Got stung? Use Kevin's Ointment. Kevin's favorite. Meep.

* * *

Ariel squirted some of the ointment out of the tube and rubbed it all over Flounder.

"There we go." she said. "Let's see those scary jellyfish sting you now."

As she spoke, a jellyfish swam up to them. But it was no ordinary pink jellyfish. This one was blue.

Ariel gasped. "Flounder, look! It's a blue-crested blaster! I've never seen one of them before! They're so...rare.

"Look, a speckled squirter! A two-fisted jumper! And a golden-throated stinger!"

"_La, la, la, la, la, la, la!" _sang the golden-throated stinger.

"Oh, gosh! I've gotta write all this down." said Ariel as she plucked her jellyfishing journal out of her bag and began to write on it when she heard a long...

_Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh_

"There's more than one golden-throated stinger?" said Flounder upon hearing that.

"Only one way to find out." said Ariel as she took Flounder's fin and swam towards the singing.

_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_It's the Jellyfishing Song_

_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Everyone sing along_

Ariel and Flounder swam up to a bed of kelp, which Ariel moved aside to see, not a couple of golden-throated stingers, SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star playing bongos, surrounded by dancing jellyfish.

**SpongeBob & Patrick: **_I go jellyfishin' in da mornin'_  
**Patrick: **_I jellyfish all de night_  
**SpongeBob: **_Jellyfishin' in the afternoon_  
**SpongeBob & Patrick: **_Jellyfishin' makes me feel all right_

After a moment of silence, SpongeBob and Patrick began netting the jellyfish, much to Ariel's shock.

**SpongeBob & Patrick: **_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_It's the Jellyfishing Song_

_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly..._

**Golden-Throated Stinger: **_Everyone sing..._

As the golden-throated stinger sang, it failed to notice its rope-like prison, for he was caught by Patrick,

_"Everyone sing along." _he and SpongeBob sang just before Ariel snatached away the net.

"Hey, give that back!" demanded Patrick who tried to reach for his net, only to be held back by Ariel's tail.

"Why? So you can harm one of Neptune's innocent creatures?" she guessed.

SpongeBob just laughed. "We wouldn't do that."

"Wait, you wouldn't?" asked Flounder.

_"La la LAAAAAAA!"_ sand the golden-throated stinger as he swam out of Patrick's net.

"No, we just catch 'em for fun." explained SpongeBob as he caught a pink jellyfish and let it go as an example. "See? Catch and release."

"Catch." repeated Patrick as he caught the jellyfish, then let it go. "Release."

The little jellyfish swam up to Ariel, who petted its top.

"See, Flounder?" she said as she placed her friend's fin on top of the jellyfish. "There's nothing to be scared about."

At first, Flounder was resistant to be near the jellyfish, but as he petted it, he started to feel a little better and calm about it.

"Hmm, maybe you're right." he said. "This little guy isn't half bad after all."

Or so he thought, for when the jellyfish stung him, Flounder reverted back to his cowardly self, swatting it away.

"Flounder, what were you thinking?" scolded Ariel.

"I'm sorry." said Flounder. "I...I just panicked."

As he spoke, an enormous shadow loomed under them. It was an entire army of jellyfish.

Apparently, when Flounder swatted the little one, he must've hit another one of them in the process, and they didn't look happy.

"Uh...he did it!" Patrick blurted, pointing at Flounder, then ran off with SpongeBob, leaving Ariel and Flounder to face the jellyfish army.

"I didn't mean to do it." said Flounder as he hid behind Ariel. "I'm just a victim of circumstance."

Ariel chuckled. "Kids. Am I right?"

The jellyfish only rose their tentacles, preparing to strike.

* * *

At that moment, Sebastian had arrived at Jellyfish Fields, looking for Ariel.

"Hmm." he said. "Now, if I was Little Miss Adventure, where would I be?"

As he scanned the fields, Sebastian noticed the jellyfish army chasing someone.

His eyes nearly popped out when he saw whom they were chasing after.

"J...j...j...j...jumping jellyfish!" he stuttered, swimming up to...

"Ariel!"

"Sebastian? What are you doing here?" asked Ariel.

"What...does it...look like...I'm doin'?" Sebastian asked back as he tried to dodge each blast from the jellyfish, though one nearly missed him, for the little crab hopped onto Ariel's shoulder.

"Can we save the questions for later?" asked Flounder. "They're gaining on us!"


	3. The Grumpy Squid Next Door

_"La da da dee, da la la da dum, de la la da doo." _Squidward Tentacles sang to himself as he walked out the back door of his house to his garden. "Ah, just as it should be; no SpongeBob or Patrick, just you and me."

But as Squidward kissed one of his tomatoes, he heard two familiar screams.

"SpongeBob?! Patrick?!"

To his horror, Squidward saw SpongeBob and Patrick running towards his garden, with the massive army of jellyfish not far behind them.

"Ah! No! No, no, no, no, no, no!" he called, running up the fence. "Turn left! Turn left! No, your other left!"

But SpongeBob and Patrick crashed their way through the fence, only to be cornered by the jellyfish.

Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian arrived to see them stinging SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward.

Knowing she had to do something and fast, Ariel spotted a freshly-baked pie resting on Squidward's windowsill.

She let out a whistle, which caught the jellyfish's attention, and swam over the windowsill.

"Who wants pie?" she called out, holding it up.

"Hey, that's mine!" said Squidward.

The jellyfish charged after Ariel and the pie.

"I can't watch!" said Flounder as he covered his eyes.

"I can't, either!" said Sebastian as he did the same, though he and Flounder peeked one eye as the jellyfish got close to Ariel, who used her tail to hit...

"My pie!" cried Squidward as he watched the jellyfish chase after it.

Flounder and Sebastian, however, were struck with surprise.

"I don't believe it." said Sebastian. "How did you know?"

"Oh, come on." said Ariel. "Everybody loves pie."

_"Wah-wah-waaaaah!"_

At the sound of that, Ariel and her friends saw that it was an anchovy who sang that.

"Do you mind not doing that?" asked Sebastian.

"Meep. Sorry." said the anchovy, who quickly walked away.

Squidward slowly turned around and saw that his garden was ruined.

"All my hard work!" he sobbed.

"Are you alright, Kathleen?" he asked one of the crumbled cabbages.

"Oh, speak to me, Gertrude!" he asked a smashed watermelon.

"Oh, don't you know me, Antonio?" he asked one of the flopped corn stalks, then started to weep, only to be interrupted by the cheerful yet annoying voices of SpongeBob and Patrick.

"Thanks for saving us, Squidward!"

"Yeah! We owe you one!"

At the sound of their voices, Squidward started to snap.

"You! Look what you've done to my garden!" he said furiously.

"Messy, isn't it?" Patrick said obliviously.

"Messy? Messy?!" fumed Squidward. "It is not messy! It's ruined! And all because you brats won't leave me alone!"

SpongeBob only chuckled. "Oh, Squidward, with friends like us, you'll never be alone."

"Ever!" added Patrick.

Squidward exploded with rage as he charged after SpongeBob and Patrick, only to be stopped by Sebastian, who said. "Get a hold o' yourself, mon. It's just a garden."

Squidward twitched in anger. "Just a garden? _JUST A GARDEN?!"_

He was about to swat Sebastian when Ariel pulled him out of the way, causing the infuriated squid to miss and land on the ground.

"I think we got off to a...stingy start." chuckled Ariel.

Nobody, however, was laughing with her.

"OK, let's try this again." she said, clearing her throat. "Hi! I'm Ariel and these are my friends, Flounder..."

"Hi." Flounder greeted shyly.

"...and Sebastian."

"Charmed."

"Nice to meet ya." said SpongeBob. "My name is SpongeBob Squarepants, and these are my friends, Patrick..."

"Hi."

"...and Squidward."

_"Not_ charmed." grouched Squidward as he tried to help himself up.

Sebastian let out a humph. "Wish I couldn't said that."

Just then, something started to beep. It was coming from SpongeBob's watch. Once he looked at it. he let out a shriek of delight, which frightened Flounder, who hid behind Ariel and asked. "Wha...wha...wha...what was that about?"

"Why, it's time to go to work, of course?" answered SpongeBob.

"And where, exactly, do you work?" asked Sebastian.

"Only the greatest eating establishment ever established for eating; _THE KRUSTY KRAB!" _sang SpongeBob as he put on his work hat, when Squidward grabbed the little sponge, who still had a smile on his face, and hissed. "You are never to sing again. _EVER!"_

"You know, now that you mentioned it," said Ariel. "I could go for some lunch about..."

"And _you _will do nothing of the sort!" added Squidward.

"Excuse me?" asked Ariel.

"Two garden wreckers are bad enough," said Squidward. "But five is where I draw the line. Therefore, you will not set foot in the Krusty Krab."

"But it was an accident." said Ariel.

"You did it on purpose!" retorted Squidward.

"But, if you would just..." began Ariel, but Squidward cut her off, saying. "Do not interupt!"

"But, if you..."

"Do not interupt!"

"If you..."

"Do not interupt!"

"...would just..."

_"DO! NOT! INTERUPT!" _shouted Squidward. "Accident or not, I am filing a restraining order."

"A restraining order?" repeated Sebastian. "Over some stupid garden?"

"My garden is not stupid, you pint-sized..."

"Oh, Squidward, you are such a kidder." chortled SpongeBob.

"SpongeBob, I think he means it." whispered Patrick.

"Oh, don't be silly, Patrick." SpongeBob said obliviously.

"No, no, I think he's got a point." said Flounder, whose cheeks were pinched by SpongeBob, who said. "Oh, you are so cute when you're funny."

"Squidward, please," pleaded Ariel. "If you can just give me some time, I can get my father to fix your garden."

"I don't want or need your help!" barked Squidward. "You caused the damage, now you will pay the price."

He then placed his work hat on top of his head and added "Do not follow me!"

The only one who did, however, was SpongeBob, who linked his arm with Squidward's, only to be pushed away by the grumpy squid, who become more annoyed when SpongeBob linked arms again.

"We weren't going to!" Sebastian called out. "We were just about to head home anyway."

"Sebastian, wait." said Ariel, who caught ahold of the little crab before he could swim away. "Can we just stop by the Krusty Krab?"

"And cause even more trouble than you normally do?" guessed Sebastian. "I think not."

"I think I'm with Sebastian on this one, Ariel." said Flounder. "Besides, Squidward told us to stay away from that place...and him."

"I know, but..." began Ariel, but Sebastian cut her off, saying. "Not another 'but,' young lady. We are heading straight home and that's the end of it."

But he hadn't gone far when Ariel said. "Come on, Sebastian. Just this once?"

"And how many times I let _you_ get away with it?" asked Sebastian.

"Over a thousand?" guessed Flounder.

Sebastian palmed his face with annoyance, then let out a defeated sigh.

"I expect you to be bright and early for rehearsals once we get home."

That was all Ariel needed to hear.

"Deal!" she said, then swam off to catch up with SpongeBob and Squidward.

"Oy, there's no pleasing that girl." Seabastian said to himself as he and Flounder swam after Ariel.

"Hey, wait for me!" called Patrick, who overheard everything. "I'm coming too!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Squidward's pie landed back in Jellyfish Fields.

But just before the jellyfish could try it, a trap was spontaneously set off.

In fact, many traps were set off as every single jellyfish found themselves in dome-style cages, which were being hauled towards...

* * *

...the Chum Bucket, which was owned by the devious Sheldon J. Plankton, who called out. "Karen, I'm back!"

"Oh, you didn't do what I just think you did, did you?" she asked.

"You bet I did!" said Plankton as he pushed a button on his remote control, sending his captured jellyfish through some tubes and into metal cages.

"OK, what's the plan this time?" asked Karen.

"Well," began Plankton. "Since today is the annual Jellyfish Migration..."

Before he could continue, an enormous jellyfish broke free from its prison. It was the queen of all jellyfish and she didn't look happy.

But bfore she could get a chance to strike, Plankton pushed the button on his remote control. This time, a huge cage came falling down on the queen jellyfish, trapping her from the inside.

"As I was saying," Plankton went on. "These jellyfish are going to help me..."

"...steal the Krabby Patty formula. I get it." said Karen. "But what makes you think they'll help you?"

"That's where these babies come in." said Plankton.

As he spoke, bucket helmets were inserted on top of each jellyfish.

"Oh, no." groaned Karen. "You're using the bucket helmets again?"

"I made some modifications," explained Plankton. "So they'll be mine to control!"

"Oh, this will never work, Plankton." said Karen. "It'll end up just like all your other plans to get that Krabby Patty."

"Silence, computer wife!" shouted Plankton. "This time, it _will _work! I'll make sure of it!"

As he pushed the button on his remote control, laughing maniacally, the bucket helmets start to take control of the jellyfish.

"I can see the stings already." Karen said to herself.


	4. The Best Friends Forever Song

"Isn't Ariel the greatest girl you've ever met, Squidward?" SpongeBob asked happily while he and Squidward walked to work.

"No, she is not! And I forbid you to mention that name!" Squidward replied rudely. "If I ever see that garden-wrecking mermaid again, I'm gonna..."

"You're gonna what?" asked a voice.

To Squidward's shock, it was...

"Ariel? I told you not to follow me."

"I tried to stop her, sir!" cried Sebastian as he grabbed ahold of Squidward's shirt. "She wouldn't listen!"

Ariel chuckled as she pulled the little crab out of Squidward's shirt. "Sebastian can be a bit dramatic sometimes."

"Hey, Squidward is like that too!" said SpongeBob.

"Well, isn't this lovely?" Sebastian said sarcastically. "We both have something in common."

"What makes you think I would have anything in common with the likes of you?" asked Squidward.

"Well, Ariel and I have two things in common." said SpongeBob as he wrapped his arms around Ariel and Squidward. "We both love jellyfishing and we have the two bestest friends in the deep blue sea."

"Get off!" demanded Squidward as he pushed away SpongeBob, whom Ariel caught in her arms.

"We do not have anything in common," he rebuffed. "And I am not nor will I ever be friends with any one of you!"

In response, Sebastian let out a raspberry.

"Oh, don't be silly, Squidward. Of course, we're friends." said SpongeBob. "And the best way to talk about friendship...is through song!"

He pulled out his ukulele and began to strum it.

"I call this one _The Best Friends Forever Song _or _BFF_ for short

_I got you, and you got me_  
_I don't need my glasses on to see _  
_We're both pretty lucky_

Refusing to hear more of SpongeBob's singing, Squidward covered his entire square head with his work hat, which turned into a cowboy hat once it popped out of SpongeBob, who kept singing.

_Stuck inside with no TV_  
_Being bored with you makes me_  
_As happy as can be_

_Let's have some fun together_  
_We'll be best friends forever_  
_BFF, that stands for us_

"Make it end!" whined Squidward.

But it would not end, for Patrick finally caught up with them and sang along with SpongeBob.

**Patrick: **_Life is sweet_  
_There's snacks we can eat_

**SpongeBob: **_We'll have fun _  
_If we go out_  
_Or just sit around_  
_Doing nothing_

"That should've been _your_ idea of fun, Ariel." said Sebastian.

"Oh, shush." replied Ariel.

**SpongeBob: **_Let's explore_  
_Open every drawer_

As he sang, his hands multiplied, popping out of some rocks.

**Patrick: **_Hey, you found my long-lost cheese!_

**SpongeBob: **_Well, that's what friends are for!_  
_Let's have some fun together_

**Patrick: **_You're my best friend forever_

As they sang, Squidward tried to walk away, only to be stopped by SpongeBob & Patrick, who formed the letters...

_BFF, that stands for..._

_We're best friends and this is the friend dance!_  
_We're best friends and this is the friend dance!_  
_We're best friends and this is the friend dance!_  
_WE'RE BEST FRIENDS AND..._

_"STOP IT!" _shouted Squidward.

But SpongeBob and Patrick would not stop, for they linked their arms with his, then with Ariel's, while singing and dancing.

_Every little thing that I can think of doing_  
_Just sounds better_  
_Doing it together_  
_Every little thing that I can think of doing_  
_Just sounds better_  
_Doing it together_  
_Doing it with you_

"And I suppose _you_ can't stand such horrible singing as theirs." Squidward said to Sebastian, who replied. "Well, not that it's any of my business, but Ariel has a voice as good as gold."

"Prove it!" grouched Squidward, whom Ariel flashed a smile to, then swam in front of them and sang beautifully, enthralling SpongeBob and Patrick while Squidward remained unenthralled.

**Ariel: **_Floating high_  
_Like a bubble in the sky_  
_Feeling good just like I should_  
_And you're the reason why_

"_Let's have some fun together!" _sang SpongeBob as he linked his arm with Squidward's.

_"We'll be best friends forever!"_ sang Ariel as she linked hers with Squidward, who pushed them away, saying. "No, we will not!"

But as he did so, Squidward found himself holding hands with Ariel and SpongeBob as they spun around in a circle, singing. "_BFF, that stands for us!"_

Squidward broke free from the circle, but he soon found himself leading SpongeBob, Ariel and Patrick in a conga line.

**SpongeBob, Ariel and Patrick: **_This can't get any better_  
_You're my best friend forever_

"I am not!" said Squidward as he pushed himself away from the conga line, only to tumble down the hill, while SpongeBob, Patrick and Ariel followed and rolled over him via sponge log.

**SpongeBob, Ariel and Patrick: **_BFF, that stands for us_  
_BFF, that stands for us_  
_BFF, that stands for..._

**Spongebob and Patrick:** Spongebob and Patrick!

**SpongeBob, Ariel and Patrick: **_That stands for us_  
_Oh!_

As Squidward grumpily helped himself up, Flounder and Sebastian swam down to him.

"Are you..." began Flounder before Squidward cut him off, shouting. "Get away from me!"

Then, in his rage, he was about to swat Flounder, who ducked at the last second, while Sebastian found himself flung by Squidward towards a glass wall.

He slid all the way down, starting at it with great shock.

"Whoa." exclaimed Ariel as she swam up to the glass wall. "What is that?"

"I'll tell you what it is." said Sebastian. "It's a human thing. A dangerous human thing!"

"Oh, that's not a human thing." said SpongeBob. "That's Sandy's treedome."

"From the outside, it looks like a ship in a bottle!" added Patrick.

Sebastian let out a humph. "A human ship in a bottle, no doubt."

"Oh, Sandy's not a human." explained SpongeBob. "She's a squirrel."

Ariel stared with surprise. "A squirrel? From the surface?"

"From Texas, actually." said SpongeBob.

"This I gotta see!" said Ariel as she swan towards Sandy's door while SpongeBob called out. "OK. We'll see you at the Krusty Krab, then."

He then linked arms with Patrick and they both headed to the Krusty Krab, singing. "_We're best friends and this is the friend walk! __We're best friends and this is the friend walk! __We're best friends and this is the friend walk! __WE'RE BEST FRIENDS AND..."_

Only Squidward stayed behind as he watched Ariel trying to open Sandy's door.

* * *

French Narrator: As he watched, he got an idea, an awful idea. Squidward got a wonderful awful idea.

I know it is just another story, but still.

* * *

Ariel was still having trouble opening Sandy's door when Squidward walked up to her, saying. "Here, let me help you with that."

One twist to the left and the door was open.

"Oh! Why, thank you, Squidward." said Ariel as she swam inside the entryway. "That's very nice of you."

Flounder let out a humph upon seeing Squidward's face. "A little too nice if you ask me."

For a minute, Squidward did have a smile on his face, but once Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder were inside, his smile turned evil as he slammed the door shut.

"Now you'll stay away from me!" he sneered to Ariel and her friends. "And the minute the water drains, you'll be gone forever!"

Then Squidward walked away, laughing maniacally, not realizing that Ariel and her friends couldn't hear him from inside the entryway.

"What's he so happy about?" asked Sebastian.

"I don't know." replied Flounder. "But I think he's starting to scare me."

Ariel, on the other hand, was looking at a nearby button. "Hmm, I wonder what this does."

Once she pressed it, a voice came out of a speaker. "Hello?"

"Um...is this Sandy?" asked Ariel.

"Depends who's asking?" Sandy asked back.

"Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder."

"Hold on a sec, I'll let you in." Sandy replied, then signed off.

"Hmm, she sounds nice." said Ariel.

As she spoke, an alarm sounded.

"She sounds nice, eh?" said Sebastian. "Then, how do you explain that?"

He pointed at the water, which was starting to go down.

"We gotta get outta here!" panicked Flounder as he tried to open the door.

"No, no, no! You're doing it wrong!" said Sebastian as he swam to the door. "Let me!"

Little did they realize Squidward was holding the door shut. He was getting back at Ariel and her friends for wrecking his garden, and he knew they can't survive without water.

Sebastian tried jumping up and down on the knob, but it wouldn't budge.

"Why...won't...this...thing...o..."

Just then, he started to gasp and faint. The water had almost drained down.

"Sebastian!" cried Flounder, who caught the little crab, then gasped and fainted as well.

"Flounder!" cried Ariel, who gasped and fainted as the water completely drained down.

The last thing she saw before passing out was a laughing Squidward doing a heel click.


	5. Inside the Treedome

The sound of running water woke Ariel up.

Her eyes fluttered open to see a huge oak tree in the center of the dome when she heard a voice say. "First rule to treedome visitors; y'all need to have water helmets on, otherwise, you'd be flappin' like a trout on a hot summer day."

It was Sandy, standing on a ladder, pouring water out of a hose and into the open tops of glass helmets that were placed on Sebastian and Flounder.

To Ariel's surprise, she was wearing one too.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think so." groaned Flounder once his helmet was full of water. "What happened?"

Once Sandy filled Sebastian's helmet with water, his eyes popped open with realization.

"I think I know." he said. "It was that Squidward! He tried to have us killed just because we wrecked his little garden."

"Squidward?" said Sandy. "Oh, that sourpuss ain't nothin' but a stick in the mud."

"A stick in the what?" said Flounder.

"It means he doesn't like anything fun." explained Sandy.

"Sebastian is like that too, sometimes." said Ariel as she tried to stand on her tail.

"Another thing they have in common." added Flounder as he did the same.

"Look, just because we have something in common," said Sebastian. "...doesn't make us friends, even if he did try to kill us."

Then, looking at Sandy from her head to her feet, he asked. "And what are you suppose to be, some kinda sea monkey or something?"

Sandy chuckled. "I ain't no sea monkey, I'm a squirrel. A squirrel of all trades, to be exact."

"Of all trades?" said Flounder.

"Now, I may look like your ordinary squirrel," explained Sandy. "But I'm also a prize-winning scientist, survivalist extraordinaire, rodeo champeen, and karate expert."

To demonstrate, Sandy performed a karate chop, startling Flounder, who hid behind Ariel, who said. "Wow! I never knew someone like you would do so...much. And this place, it's...it's incredible!"

"Well, it may not look like much, but it's my own personal air bubble." said Sandy as she wrapped her arm around Ariel. "Now, this dome is made of the finest polyurethane, that's a fancy word for plastic, and it helps provide the driest, purest, most airiest air in the whole sea."

"Bleck! Makes me sick just thinking about it." commented Sebastian.

"Actually, it's making _me_ hungry just thinking about it." said Flounder, who heard his stomach growl as he pulled on Sandy's tail.

"Uh, say...uh...you wouldn't happen to have some sort of transporting doohickey that can get us to the Krusty Krab, do you?" he asked.

"Do I?"

* * *

Sandy led Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder inside her tree when a huge machine stood in front of them.

"This is one of my many inventions; the matter transporter." she announced. "It can move things from one place to another in the blink of an eye."

"Wow!" exclaimed Ariel. "How does it work?"

"I'll show ya." said Sandy as she plucked out a daisy from a nearby pot and placed it on the transporter, which sparked, for Sandy had started it up via remote control.

The door, then, opened, revealing that the daisy had disappeared.

"Wha...where did it go?" asked Sebastian.

"Just where you think it would be." explained Sandy.

* * *

Back at the palace in Atlantica, Ariel's sisters were either relaxing or brushing their hair when the daisy appeared, landing on Ariel's pillow.

* * *

"Hop in, y'all." said Sandy.

"Just when I thought being in a human's net is bad enough." Sebastian said to himself as he, Ariel and Flounder went inside the transporter.

"Oh, if only Scuttle could see this." said Ariel.

Sandy's eyes began to twitch.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Oh, I was hoping Scuttle would be here to see this machine of yours and..." began Ariel before Sandy cut her off, saying. "Don't you dare mention that rat with wings! He don't know nothin'."

"He does, too." said Ariel. "Scuttle's the smartest bird I know."

Sebastian just rolled his eyes as she went on. "Why, just the other day..."

Having heard enough, Sandy started up the transporter, in which Ariel and her friends were sent to the Krusty Krab.

"Shee-ute." she said to herself. "That gal's as ornery as a southern belle."


	6. Inside the Krusty Krab

**Author's Note:**

**When you get to where Sebastian attacks Squidward, cue Dramatic Cue G, one of the many musical pieces from "SpongeBob Squarepants."**

* * *

_"We're best friends and this is the friend walk! We're best friends and this is the friend walk!"_ SpongeBob and Patrick kept singing as they, along with Squidward, approached the Krusty Krab.

"Hey, where's Ariel?" asked SpongeBob.

"Maybe Sebastian finally convinced her to go home." snickered Squidward.

All of a sudden, as if by magic, Ariel and her friends appeared in front of them.

"Ariel!" SpongeBob said with delight. "I see Sandy used her matter transporter to get you all to the Krusty Krab."

"Yes, she did." said Sebastian as he cracked his knuckles. "Just so I can give that murdering-attempting squid a piece of my mind. And by mind, I mean claws!"

Squidward shrieked as Sebastian attacked him by strangling his nose, saying. "I oughta make fried calamari out of you!"

He, then, flung Squidward from here to there while grasping his nose, which he had to let go once Ariel plucked him up.

"Sebastian, calm down." she said.

"Control that crab of yours or I'm calling animal control!" threatened Squidward. "And need I remind you that I am _this _close to filing the restraining order."

Once again, Sebastian let out a raspberry, just before a door burst open.

"What's going on out there?" a voice rang out.

Everyone turned to see Mr. Krabs, the owner of the Krusty Krab, who glared upon seeing...

"Sebastian."

...who glared back at...

"Eugene."

"Wait, you two know each other?" asked Ariel.

Sebastian let out a sigh. "Unfortunately. He's...my cousin, three times removed."

"We didn't know you had a cousin." said Flounder.

"There are some members of my family that aren't worth talking about." explained Sebastian. "And _he _is no exception!"

"Sebastian, who's your friend?" asked Mr Krabs, who pointed at Ariel.

Sebastian let out a sigh. "I never thought I'd say this, especially in front of you, but...presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Ariel of Atlantica, blah, blah, blah, blah."

"Princess?" repeated Mr. Krabs, who took a sniff. "I smell wealth, boys!"

"What would make you think this garden-wrecker is wealthy?" asked Squidward grumpily.

"Because she, Mr. Squidward, is royalty." explained Mr. Krabs. "And where there's royalty, there's money!"

Sebastian shook his head, saying. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no."

But Mr. Krabs nodded and rubbed his claws, saying. "Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

"Listen, 'cousin,' I'm onto you and your devious schemes." said Sebastian. "There is no way in heaven or..."

"Don't mind Sebastian." said Ariel as she covered her friend. "He's just a little crab with a big mouth."

"There is no..." Sebastian went on before Ariel covered his mouth again, asking. "Can you give us a moment?"

She swam over to a nearby table and placed Sebastian down.

"Forget eating here." he said. "I say we go home and have lunch there."

"But we came all this way, Sebastian." said Ariel. "Why change your mind now?"

"Because I don't trust him!" replied Sebastian, referring to Mr. Krabs.

"How can you not trust him?" asked Ariel. "He's your cousin."

"Ha!" said Sebastian. "You say 'cousin,' I say he's a con artist."

Ariel raised one of her eyebrows.

"A con artist?"

"What makes you think that?" asked Flounder.

Little did the trio realize Mr. Krabs was eavesdropping on their conversation, wearing a big grin on his face.

"Well, for starters," began Sebastian. "He doesn't care about anything or anyone else but himself and his money. Two; he treats his employees poorly. Three..."

That was when he noticed Mr. Krabs eyeing on them.

"Do you mind?"

"Oh, sorry." said Mr. Krabs as he backed up, but not that far.

"Go away!" demanded Sebastian. "And wipe that stupid smile off your face."

But Mr. Krabs resumed smiling, so did SpongeBob.

"Sebastian, if we want them to stop acting like Cheshire Catfish," whispered Flounder. "The least we can do is get something from the menu."

Just as before, Sebastian sighed defeatedly. "Fine. Might as well since we're already here."

_"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" _cheered SpongeBob.

"But I'm not going to enjoy every second of it!" added Sebastian.

"'Course, you are, 'cause you're in for a treat." assured Mr. Krabs. "Ring them in, Mr. Squidward!"

But Squidward just crossed his arms, saying. "I am not nor will I ever take any orders from a garden wrecker."

Refusing to take "no" for an answer, Mr. Krabs grabbed Squidward's neck and pulled him closer, saying. "You are and you will, or I'll fill your life with misery and woe, even if you quit!"

He, then, tossed Squidward over to his workstation, which Ariel and her friends swam up to, as Swuidward helped himself up.

"What would you like to order?" he asked through clenced teeth.

Ariel looked up at the menu and read through every food item.

"Hmm, let's see. Krabby Patty, Double Patty Patty, Krabby Junior Junior, Jumbo Small Patty, Junior Senior Sophomore Patty, Quarter Ouncer Double Pounder...wow, they all look so good. Uh, what would you recommend, the coral bits or the nacho oyster skins?"

"Never tried them, never will." replied Squidward. "What will you have?"

"What about the barnacle rings?" asked Flounder. "Are they any good?"

Squidward started to twitch as he asked again. "What will you have?"

"Well, uh, what's your vote on the kelp..."

Before Ariel could continue, Squidward got to her face and sneered. "I'll give you _two _reccomendations, 'Princess;' either you order something or _GET OUT!"_

"We'll just take one of everything then." Ariel finally said.

"Great. Now you'll never leave." groaned Squidward. "SpongeBob! One of everything for the garden-wrecking princess."

_"One smorgasbord coming up" _sang SpongeBob as he danced on his toes to the kitchen.

"And I don't wanna hear anymore of your putrid singing!" added Squidward.

"You've made the right decision, cousin." said Mr. Krabs as he patted Sebastian, who muttered. "And I'm starting to regret it already."


	7. Ariel's Whereabouts

Back at the palace in Atlantica, Triton was still in his throne room, pacing back and forth when the seahorse hearld swam up to him

"Did you see them?" asked Triton.

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty." replied the hearld. "Sebastian and Ariel haven't returned yet."

"Mmm, where could they be?" wondered Triton.

"Daddy!" called a voice.

It was Ariel's older sister, Attina, who was followed by Aquata, Andrina, Adella, Alana and Arista.

"What is it, girls?" asked Triton as he swam down to his daughters.

"Look what we found." said Adella as she held up the daisy, which Triton examined and asked. "Where did you find this?"

"On Ariel's pillow." replied Aquata.

"One minute it wasn't there," added Andrina. "And now, _POOF, _there it is."

"Do you think it might be from her, Daddy?" asked Alana.

"Well, if that's the case," said Triton as he picked up his trident. "Then, I better go look for her."

"You don't think she's in trouble, do you, Daddy?" asked Arista.

"All I can say, Arista," replied Triton. "...is either she's in trouble or she's going to be."


	8. Attack of the Jellyfish

"A buffet fit for Her Royal Highness!" exclaimed Mr. Krabs as SpongeBob and Squidward placed every item of food that was on the menu onto a long table.

"You sure know how to treat a princess, Mr. Krabs." said Ariel as she tried a Krabby Patty. "Mmmm, this is good. This is really good."

As he watched, Sebastian, already steaming mad, tossed away the Krabby Patty that SpongeBob was about to set on the table.

"Aww, is that Krabby Patty too big for you?" he asked. "Well, don't worry. I brought you something I know you'll love; one Pipsqueak Patty..."

He, then, placed a tiny-looking Krabby Patty on the table...

"...and your bib and high-chair."

...in which he placed Sebastian in and wrapped a bib around him.

"Aww, so cute." Ariel said in admiration

"Humph! Humiliated is more like it." said Sebastian as he took the bib off.

But as he did so, the little crab found himself sucked up by Patrick, the hungry slob that he is, who proceeded to suck up the food and the tablecloth as if he was a vacuum cleaner.

Then, as he let out a burp, out came Sebastian, who landed in Ariel's arms.

"Wow! What a appetite" she said.

"That's Patrick for ya." replied SpongeBob as he laid out an extra tablecloth and placed more food on the table.

"Eh, I wasn't really hungry anyway." said Sebastian.

"You should be hungry." said Mr. Krabs as he produced a long piece of paper. "'Cause we have some business to discuss."

"What's that?" asked Flounder.

"Why, it's the bill for everything that's on the menu." explained Mr. Krabs.

"Uh, yeah, about that," said Ariel as she looked at the bill. "Um, you see, the thing is I...don't have any money."

Mr. Krabs could feel the color drain out of him when he heard that.

"Don't have any...What do you think I'm runnin' here? Some kind of free buffet?"

"Um...yes?" said Ariel.

"Nobody eats in me restaurant for free, royalty or not!" retorted Mr. Krabs as he pulled the tablecloth, unknowingly splattering the food on Squidward. "And if you ain't gonna pay for all this food, then what good are..."

Just then, there was a _CRASH!_

Everyone looked up to see four tentacles sticking out of the ceiling.

"It's the jellyfish!" panicked Flounder, who quickly swam into Mr. Krabs's office to hide.

"Hey, come outta there!" called Mr. Krabs as more tentacles poked into the ceiling.

"How did they find us?" asked Ariel.

"Maybe they want some more pie?" guessed Sebastian.

"That pie was mine and you know it!" reminded Squidward.

As he spoke, the jellyfish let out a dark blue cloud of ink, which covered up the Krusty Krab.

"Hey! What's going on?" asked Patrick.

"I don't know." replied Sebastian.

"I can't see a thing!" said SpongeBob.

But Ariel can, for she saw the jellyfish, who had bursted through the ceiling, heading inside Mr. Krabs's office, where she saw them tying up something in a bag.

"What are you doing?" she asked, only to be blasted by more ink by one of the jellyfish, who swam away in a hurry.

"Wait! Stop!" cried Ariel as she tried to follow them, only to bump into the front door.

Once opened, the ink cloud drifted away, revealing the jellyfish heading towards the Chum Bucket.

"What were those things?" asked Sebastian.

"Speckled squirters." replied Ariel. "Blue speckled squirters."

"I knew it!" exclaimed Mr. Krabs. "Those jellyfish are in cahoots with Plankton!"

"Who?" asked Ariel.

"I thought everyone knew about Plankton." said SpongeBob. "He's the owner of the Chum Bucket,right across the street."

"He's been after me secret Krabby Patty formuler for years." added Mr. Krabs.

"There's a secret formula?" asked Ariel.

"Aye, lassie, there is." replied Mr. Krabs. "And now that he's got it, I'm as good as ruined!"

As he sobbed, Ariel heard the sound of rolling glass.

"Wait, what's that?"

Everyone turned to see that the rolling came from...

"Me formuler!" exclaimed Mr. Krabs, who picked up the bottle and held it close to him.

"Oh, thank Neptune!" he said between kisses. "I thought I lost you."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." said Sebastian. "If the secret formula's still here, then..."

Ariel gasped, realizing...

"They took Flounder!"


	9. Captured Guppy

Inside his lab at the Chum Bucket, Plankton chortled as the jellyfish placed the bag on a table.

"I can't believe it worked!" he said. "And you said it couldn't be done."

"I still have my doubts." replied Karen.

"Oh, I can taste 'em Patties already." said Plankton, rubbing his hands together, as he watched the jellyfish unfold the bag, revealing...Flounder?

"What the...? What have you done with my Krabby Patties, you little guppy?"

"Your Krabby Patties?" said Flounder. "What are you talking abou...Hey, wait a minute."

He looked around and saw some of the jellyfish and their queen in their cages, those that captured him wearing their helmets, then at Plankton. The pieces were coming together.

"Now I get it. This is another one of your schemes, isn't it? Capturing all these jellyfish and controlling them just so you can steal the Krabby Patty formula."

"He sure catches on quick, does he?" asked Karen.

"That, we can use to our advantage." decided Plankton, who snapped his tiny fingers.

"What advantage?" asked Flounder, just before the jellyfish wrapped him with their tentacles.

"It's a good thing the jellyfish brought you back, kid." explained Plankton. "Because I have something special in store for you."

"Wha...you're crazy if you think I'm gonna help you get the Krabby Patty formula." said Flounder.

"That's what I'm counting on." sneered Plankton as he pushed the button on his remote control, which activated the glove from outside the Chum Bucket to drop down, revealing a TV from the inside of it.

"Attention, Krusty Krab management!" Plankton called from the screen.

"It's him!" exclaimed Mr. Krabs as he, Ariel, Sebastian, SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward watched from inside the Krusty Krab.

"You've got something that I want," Plankton went on. "And I've got something that you want. Or should I say...someone."

He motioned to the helmeted jellyfish, which were restraining...

"Flounder!" gasped Ariel.

"And if you want to see this little guppy swim free again, you will hand over the secret Krabby Patty formula."

"I will do nothin' of the sort!" Mr. Krabs called back.

"What?" Ariel said in disbelief.

"If you don't comply to my demands in one hour," warned Plankton. "I'll have this little guppy electrocuted!"

"No!" cried Ariel.

"Don't keep me waiting! T-T-F-N." concluded Plankton as the glove with the TV went back up.

"Demands or not," said Mr. Krabs as he walked away from the window. "I ain't complying to anything."

"But Flounder needs our help." pleaded Ariel.

"That's your problem, Princess _I Don't Have Any Money_." snapped Mr. Krabs.

"What's that suppose to mean?" asked Ariel.

"It means if you ain't gonna pay," explained Mr. Krabs. "I ain't helpin' ya get your friend back."

Ariel couldn't believe what she heard.

"How can you be so selfish?" she fumed. "My best friend is in danger and all you can think about is money, money and more money? And I thought we were starting to become friends."

"Get this through your brain, 'Princess.'" said Squidward. "I'm not friends with you or anyone else!"

"Yes. You. _ARE!_" shouted Patrick as he pushed Squidward, who crashed into Mr. Krabs, whose shell began to crack as Ariel gasped in shock.

Once he saw that he was nothing but crab meat, Mr. Krabs let out a shriek.

"Uh...he did it!" Patrick blurted, pointing at Squidward, who said. "I did no..."

Mr. Krabs punched him into the floor, resulting in an all-out Krusty Krab brawl.

Realizing none of them were going to help her, Ariel swam away.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Sebastian.

"I'm getting Flounder out of that place myself if I have to." replied Ariel.

"Ariel, you can't." pleaded Sebastian as he caught ahold of her hand. "If those jellyfish see you, you'll get captured too."

"Flounder's my friend, Sebastian." said Ariel as she pulled her hand away. "And I'm not leaving without him."

"Ariel, wait!" cried Sebastian.

But it was too late. The front doors had closed on him as Ariel swam towards the Chum Bucket.


	10. Coming to the Rescue

From inside, Plankton and Karen could see Ariel swim to the back of the Chum Bucket.

"Let the show begin." Plankton grinned evilly as he pushed the button on his remote control, which made the glove with the TV drop down so the boys back at the Krusty Krab could watch what's going on now.

"This is not good." said Sebastian.

"You can say that again." agreed SpongeBob.

"This is not good." repeated Patrick. "Uh, I knew I was gonna do that."

Squidward stared coldly at him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ariel swam to the top of the Chum Bucket, where she found a roof window, which she looked into.

Down below, she could see the top of Flounder.

Ariel tried to open the roof, but to no avail, that is until she spotted a nearby crowbar, which she used to pry the window open.

"Psst. Flounder!" she whispered.

Flounder looked up to see...

"Ariel?"

...who swam down to her friend, who had been chained to the floor.

"Don't worry, buddy." she said. "I'll get you out of there in no time."

Like an axe, Ariel swung the crowbar at the chain, setting Flounder free.

But before they could escape, the jellyfish caught ahold of Flounder and Ariel, who tried to break free while more jellyfish snatched her bag.

"Give it back!" she demanded.

As he watched, Plankton's evil smile grew bigger...

* * *

...while back at the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob, Patrick and Sebastian watched in horror as the jellyfish cornered Ariel and Flounder. Then, the screen went black.

"Ariel!" cried SpongeBob.

"This isn't happening!" panicked Sebastian. "This isn't happening! This isn't happ...I gotta get to the Sea King. He must know about this."

"Hey, what about us?" asked Patrick.

"You, find a way to get those kids outta there!" instructed Sebastian before swimming out of the Krusty Krab to find Triton.

"Well, good luck." said Squidward. "'Cause I am not helping anyone."

Patrick grabbed him by the neck and, with SpongeBob, used him as a battering ram, shouting. _"YOU ARE, TOOOOOOOO!"_

But upon reaching the Chum Bucket, just before Squidward's head could touch the door, he, SpongeBob and Patrick recieved a shocking surprise, literally.

The TV inside the glove turned back on, revealing a laughing Plankton.

"Haven't you fools forgotten something?" he gloated. "Thanks to my new friends, the Chum Bucket is now electrified!"

"You won't get away with this." said Ariel.

"Yeah, just wait till they get in." added Flounder.

"Silence, Krabby Meals!" ordered Plankton.

"Let Ariel and Flounder go, you little monster!" demanded Patrick.

"Why, yes, of course." said Plankton. "Right after you give me the secret formula."

"Never!" replied SpongeBob.

"Then you'll never get 'em back!" Plankton laughed as the glove with the TV rose back up.

"Now what are we gonna do?" asked Patrick.

"If we can just put our heads together..." began SpongeBob, but Squidward cut him off, saying. "We are not putting anyone's heads together, because I have had enough."

He tried to leave, but SpongeBob grabbed his leg.

"Don't go, Squidward, please!" he begged. "Ariel needs us."

"Well, I don't!" said Squidward as he broke free from SpongeBob, who caught ahold of his shirt, pleading. "But she needs our help!"

"There is no 'our,' SpongeBob!" yelled Squidward as he pushed him away. "There is no 'we,' there is no 'us,' there is no common ground!"

SpongeBob began to whimper. "But...but...but I thought..."

"You thought wrong!" shouted Squidward. "Now I'm going to file that restraining order and there's nothing you can do about it."

As he spoke, a huge shadow loomed in front of them.

"Well, perhaps there's something _I _can do."

It was Triton!


	11. Going Down the Pit

**Author's Note:**

**When you get to where Plankton claimed control of Triton's trident, try saying that a few times fast, in the words of Gussie Mausheimer from "An American Tail; "Wewease the secwet weapon," in which I meant play the musical score of the same saying to tie in with the climactic battle, if those of you have the soundtrack for "An American Tail," that is.**

* * *

The mighty Sea King aimed his glowing trident at the doors, which were blasted out of their hinges, and, to his shock, saw his daughter shackled to the floor, along with Flounder.

"Ariel!"

"Daddy, get out of here!" she warned.

"But wh..."

Before Triton could ask why, the jellyfish roped their tentacles on his arms.

"Hey! Hey, let go!" he demaded. "Let go!"

But the jellyfish only dragged him to where Ariel was and shackled him too, then grabbed SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward.

As for Sebastian, he ducked out of sight as the jellyfish placed the trio in a cage.

"Don't leave me in here with them!" pleaded Squidward, only to have the cage door slam shut on him.

"This just got even better." gloated Plankton, rubbing his hands together.

"How will this get 'even better?'" asked Karen.

"Because, my dear computer wife," explained Plankton. "Now that I have his precious golden boys, Krabs will be forced to hand over the Krabby Patty formula."

That's when he spotted the trident.

Triton had dropped it when the jellyfish attacked him.

Plankton hopped down from Karen's monitor and picked up the trident, his devious smile growing more dastardly.

"Or better yet..."

He aimed the trident at the Krusty Krab...

* * *

...where, as Mr. Krabs put his shell back together, he saw the secret formula floating up and away.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Mr. Krabs caught ahold of the bottle, which was moving towards the Chum Bucket.

"Oh, no you don't." he growled, trying to pull the formula back, only to be dragged inside.

"Krabs!" greeted Plankton. "So glad you could come to hand it over...and meet your doom!"

Then, resuming his maniacal laughing, he pushed the button on his remote control, which opened a trap door on the floor, revealing a bottomless pit of boiling oil.

"No, no, no!" pleaded Mr. Krabs as he held onto the bottle containing the secret formula for dear life.

Plankton cackled loudly as he shook the trident to make Mr. Krabs lose his grip on the bottle and send him down the pit.

Even though he didn't trust his cousin, Sebastian knew he had to save him. After all, he was family.

"Who can stop me now?" guffawed Plankton. _"WHO?!"_

Without warning, Sebastian tackled him, losing control of the trident while Mr. Krabs, free from its power, was flung to the wall, losing his grip on...

"Me formuler!"

...which was rolling towards the oil pit, but he caught it at the last second just before it fell.

"Kill him!" ordered Plankton as he shoved Sebastian away. "Kill them all if you must!"

Under his command, the jellyfish charged after the friends.

"Stand back, Sebastian." said Triton, who was aimed his trident, which he got back while Sebastian and Plankton fought, at the remote control, for he realized that Plankton is controlling the jellyfish with it.

Sebastian did as he was told as Triton blasted his trident at the remote, which shattered into pieces, causing the helmeted jellyfish to stop.

"Daddy!" cried Ariel, for she heard a loud groan.

It was coming from the queen jellyfish. Her energy was being sucked into Plankton's Mutant Maker.

Triton aimed his trident at the machine, attempting to destroy it, but a blast of energy struck the trident of his hands, almost pinning SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward.

Plankton's terrifying laugh echoed as the Mutant Maker shook back and forth, until...

_KABLOOEY!_

Everyone watched in fear as Plankton emerged from the rubble...as a monster-sized jellyfish and screamed at the top of their lungs.

"We're gonna need a bigger net." said Flounder as he trembled behind Ariel, who looked at the open pit, then at Plankton, who grabbed Mr. Krabs by the neck with one of his tentacles, while plucking the secret formula with his other tentacle.

_"AT LAST," _he bellowed. _"THE SECRET KRABBY PATTY FORMULA IS MINE!"_

"No!" croaked Mr. Krabs.

But before Plankton could remove the formula from its bottle, the jellyfish, now free from his control, threw their helmets at him and stung the monsterized beast while one of them used one of its tentacles to unlock the cage, which held Squidward, Patrick and SpongeBob, who shouted. "Freedom! Freedom!"

Squidward pulled the trident out of the wall and tossed it down to Triton, who used it to free himself, Ariel and Flounder from their shackles.

"We gotta get him down to the pit." said Ariel.

"I'm way ahead of you." replied Triton as he blasted each cage, freeing the captive jellyfish, who joined the others to sting Plankton.

Even SpongeBob and Triton got in on this, by using ketchup and mustard, which SpongeBob aimed at Plankton's eye, and the power of the trident respectively.

_"IF I'M GOING DOWN," _Plankton growled to Mr. Krabs, whom he still had wrapped in his tentacle while being forcibly lowered into the oil pit. "_YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!"_

"Eugene!" shrieked Sebastian, who, then, dove in.

"Sebastian, no!" cried Ariel.

But Sebastian was already in the pit, where Plankton noticed the little crab, who pinched the tentacle holding Mr. Krabs.

Plankton howled in pain, sending the two crabs flying out of the pit and into Ariel's arms.

Once she caught Sebastian and Mr. Krabs, Ariel saw Plankton swimming up to them, laughing madly, until...

_SLAM!_

The trap door closed on him.


	12. Neptune Save the Queen

Ariel turned to see that Karen had shut the trap door, which Triton welded with his trident.

"There!" he said. "Let's see him get out of that."

_"KAREN! LET ME OUT!" _hollered Plankton as he banged on the trap door from the inside.

"Once you calm down," said Karen. "Then, and only then, will I let you out."

_"I AM CALM, COMPUTER WIFE!" _shouted Plankton. _"LET! ME! OUUUUUUUUUUT!"_

Triton used his trident to gently remove the queen jellyfish from her prison and on top of the trap door. She was starting to get weak after her energy was sucked into the Mutant Maker

"Oh, no." gasped Ariel.

She hurried to get her tube of Kevin's ointment from her bag, only to find out...

"It's empty!"

"What is?" asked Sebastian.

"The ointment." explained Ariel. "I must've used the last of it on Flounder so he won't get stung."

"Here, use this." said Karen as she held out a beaker filled with blue liquid. "It might be the same as the ointment."

"Oh, thank you." said Ariel, who swam over to the queen jellyfish, pouring the liquid on top of her and rubbed it all around.

Everyone watched in silence, waiting to see if it worked while the queen jellyfish panted, her natural color starting to fade.

"Don't leave us now, old girl. Please." begged Ariel.

But it was no use. The queen jellyfish let out one last pant, and then succumbed to her injuries as Ariel watched, breathing heavily.

"Ariel?" said Triton, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Ariel buried her face in her father's beard, sobbing, while everyone, including Squidward, the jellyfish, and Karen, bowed their heads in remorse.

Suddenly, the queen jellyfish started to glow.

"Ariel, look!" said Flounder.

Ariel turned to see the jellyfish, holding tentacles and using them to transfer their energy to their queen, removing every trace of injury she had.

As they did, the queen jellyfish began to rose off the floor, while everyone watched in awe.

For a moment, she hovered. Then...

_WHOOSH!_

She swam across the Chum Bucket, doing a loop-de-loop.

The queen was well again!

Everyone cheered as Ariel and Triton embraced each other.

The queen jellyfish swam down to Ariel and carressed her cheek as a symbol of thanks.


	13. Forgiveness and Reconciliations

True to her word, Ariel got her father to restore Squidward's garden, which he did by using his trident, while Squidward, SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward watched in astonishment.

"Now what was that you said about filing a restraining order against my daughter?" Triton asked Squidward, who began to laugh nervously. "Did I really say that?"

"Yes, you did." said Sebastian.

A pang of guilt started to run through Squidward. All day, he wanted Ariel to stay away from him, just as he did to SpongeBob and Patrick. But now, he felt...ashamed.

"OK, you got me. I did." he confessed. "But that was because at first, I...thought she was just another nuisance, like my neighbors. And, like I did with them, I wanted nothing to do with Ariel, even after she said she wanted to help and that my garden being wrecked was an accident, and I didn't want to listen to her or what she had to say. But now, after...all of this, I realize that I was wrong about her. And I was wrong to treat her like that, the same way I did to my friends. So if you can find it in your hearts, Your Majesty, Princess, I just hope you could forgive me for...being such a...bad friend."

Ariel swam up to Squidward, smiled and hugged him.

"Consider your apology accepted." she said, kissing his nose.

Upon seeing the mark, Squidward sighed dreamily.

"Well, that's very nice." said Mr. Krabs. "But you still owe me for all that food, young lady!"

Triton looked at Ariel, who chuckled nervously.

He rolled his eyes and used his trident to make a golden brick, which he held out to Mr. Krabs, asking. "Will this be enough for your troubles?"

Mr. Krabs chortled with delight. "Oh, ho, ho, ho, it's more than e..."

Before he could finish, however, Krabs looked at Sebastian, the cousin who saved his life, then at the golden brick.

"...nough."

He sighed and pushed the golden brick back to Triton.

"But...what about the bill?" asked Flounder.

"Ah, forget about it." replied Mr. Krabs. "It was...on the house, anyways. Besides, I don't think I deserve the gold."

"But you still have some...in the shape of a heart" said Sebastain, who started to see his cousin, whom he smiled at, in a new light.

Mr. Krabs smiled back.

"You're too good to us, Mr. Krabs." said Ariel, who kissed one of his eyestalks.

Like Squidward, Mr. Krabs sighed dreamily...and fell back.

Sebastian chuckled. "What a soft shell you're turning out to be."

As he, Flounder and Squidward helped Mr. Krabs up, Ariel turned to SpongeBob and Patrick, the first two friends she met.

"Do you really have to go?" asked Patrick.

Ariel nodded her head.

"I'm afraid so." she said. "Besides, I've had enough adventure for one day."

"Now she tells us." commented Sebastian.

"I don't know what we'll do without you." said SpongeBob.

"Oh, you guys." Ariel smiled as she hugged SpongeBob and Patrick. "I'll come back and visit. I promise. Until then, I want you to have this."

She pulled out her jellyfishing journal from her bag and handed it to SpongeBob, who said. "But we already have jellyfishing journals."

"Then, don't think of it as a journal." said Ariel as she placed it on his hands. "Think of it...as a way to remember me by."

SpongeBob began to sniffle. "We shan't forget you."

He and Patrick wrapped their arms around Ariel, who replied. "And I won't forget you, either."

After kissing both of them on their foreheads, Ariel waved goodbye and swam off with her father.

Flounder and Sebastian waved goodbye too and caught up with Ariel and Triton.

As he and his friends waved back, SpongeBob noticed Squidward starting to cry.

"There, there, buddy." he said, comforting his sobbing neighbor. "It's alright. You're among friends here."

As Mr. Krabs watched Ariel, her father and friends go, he knew he had to put aside his money obsession and patch things up with his cousin.

"Sebastian, wait!" he called out.

Sebastian looked back at Mr. Krabs, who asked. "You wanna stay for dinner?"

"You're not serving Krabby Patties again, are you?" Sebasian asked back.

"Will you settle for a Krabby Newburg?" suggested Mr. Krabs.

Sebastian turned to Triton, who nodded his head, meaning he can stay for dinner.

"I'm all yours, cousin!" called Sebastian as he swam back down while Triton swam towards home with Ariel and Flounder.

"I didn't even know Sebastian had a cousin." he said.

Ariel shrugged. "There are some members of his family that aren't worth talking about."

"But _he_ is one exception." added Flounder.

As SpongeBob and Patrick kept waving goodbye, a little jellyfish flew by them.

Smiling at each other, they whipped out their nets and followed it back to Jellyfish Fields, while Ariel and Flounder watched, knowing that SpongeBob and Patrick are only catching and releasing the jellyfish.

**SpongeBob and Patrick: **_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_It's the Jellyfishing Song_

_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Everyone sing along_

Ariel and Flounder smiled at each other, then caught up with Triton as the jellyfish joined in the chorus.

**Jellyfish Chorus:**_ Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_It's the Jellyfishing Song_

_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_  
_Jelly-lelly, Lelly-jelly,_

**SpongeBob & Chorus: **_Everyone sing..._

**Sebastian, Squidward and Mr. Krabs (to the readers)**_: Everyone sing along_


	14. Father and Daughter Night

**Author's Note:**

**Since we're near the end of this story, when you get to when Ariel and Triton had some time to themselves...cue the end music from "Finding Dory!"**

* * *

Night has already fallen in Atlantica as Ariel told her sisters the events of her day.

"So, if you didn't send this flower to us," asked Adella. "Who did?"

"Sandy did," explained Ariel. "By using her matter transporter."

"Ooooh." exclaimed Attina, Alana, Adella and Andrina.

"What's a matter transporter?" asked Aquata.

"And who's Sandy?" added Arista.

"A matter transporter is a machine that can move things, or us, in our case, from one place to another in the blink of an eye." explained Ariel. "And you're not gonna believe this, but Sandy is a..."

Before she could say what type of creature Sandy was, someone cleared his throat. It was Triton.

"I hate to interupt your little story corner," he said. "But it's way past your bedtime."

"Awww." groaned his daughters.

"Just when it was getting good." said Andrina as she and the others swam off to their beds.

Ariel was just about to get into hers when Triton called her name.

"Ariel?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Come with me." said Triton, leaving their bedroom.

Ariel cautiously followed after him, worried that she might be in trouble.

* * *

Once they were far away from the palace, Triton said to his youngest daughter. "You know, if you had told me that today was the annual Jellyfish Migration, I would've taken you there myself."

Ariel looked at her father in surprise.

"Sebastian told me everything." explained Triton.

Ariel let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Dad. But, deep down, I knew if I did, you woud say 'no,' telling me that jellyfish are dangerous, but I would go see them anyway, while you sent Sebastian to find me, and...and..."

As she spoke, Ariel noticed a flash of color.

She turned and saw the rare and exotic species of jellyfish dancing, out in the open ocean.

"Wha..." gasped Ariel as she sat on a ledge.

Triton sat down beside her, placing an arm on her shoulder, saying. "I knew you wouldn't miss this for the world."

Ariel smiled at her father and hugged him, then asked. "Do you think they'll come to the concert?"

Realizing she was referring to SpongeBob and his friends, Triton chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll see to it they'll be there."

Ariel embraced him even more as they watched the jellyfish dance into the night.

* * *

_**The End**_


End file.
